If you turn the corner of 2331 K Street No. #10, in Sacramento you’ll find yourself transported to a small piece of Mexico.
Placita MX explodes with authenticity and community. If you’re searching for a place with genuine people, color, life, and art then Placita MX is for you. There you can peruse through various rooms that belong to the vendors. It is a space for art, creativity and culture to intertwine and thrive, resulting in the explosion of many items to admire and buy.
From jewelry to ceramics and paintings to apparel sporting word play inspired by Mexican culture there is much to find here. Something for everyone as they say.
The unique format of the building is common in older Mexican Architecture adding more character to the colorful space.
In the main courtyard when you walk from room to room you can find a gorgeous and colorful painting of the Virgin Mary displayed on the wall. Placita MX reflects and imitates the purpose of Plazas back in Mexico. Plazas are usually town squares in small towns all over the country where people gather to sell and buy all types of wants and needs.
If you’ve never been to Mexico or have and are missing it you can grab yourself a piece of it during a visit to Placita MX.
This is where the all Hispanic team of vendors that create the crew of the Plaza are self made and unique in their own way , and carry their own ambitions and dreams.
There is one thing they certainly share, it is that they stand together and represent the unified goal of showing the beauty of their Hispanic heritage. By doing what they do as a group of proud people presenting their work and talents they truly showcase the true meaning of “Si se Puede.”
A Peak Into Placita MX
The rooms are numbered and the painted sign near the entrance lists them so you’ll never miss the chance to revisit your favorite vendors.
At the entrance facing K street “‘Kulture”’ can be found with various types of merchandise such as jewelry, art, pottery and small nick nacks straight from Mexico and other small local vendors. Established in 2015, the business is approaching its 10-year anniversary next July and this location is one of the two.
Husband and wife, David and Nancy Garcia had gotten the idea for their store from the multiple and annual visits they would take to Mexico. Their love for Mexico and the feeling Mexico had brought to them inspired the pair to bring Mexico over to the states and to the community. As David Garcia said “We’re very into our culture, so for me it was just a lot of the items I grew up seeing and liking and then I thought people would like it themselves”.
‘The Arte Studio’
Out the doors and to the left of “Kulture” is room 2 is where you’ll find John S. Huertas “Artestudio”. There you’ll walk into a room bursting with color for John knows how the appreciation of color is embedded in Mexican culture. His paintings incorporate many Mexican and Chicano icons and styles and most notably his work displays the appreciation of beauty and life that comes with death. His inspiration and interest sparked as a young boy with the encouragement of his grandmother, which would later on push him further into his talent and drive his inspiration.
When asked what really drove him towards painting opposed to other forms of art John said “I love a color, and our culture, and was just amazed.”
‘Urban Art’ with a smile
In Room 5 you’ll encounter a man called Cesar Rodriguez.
Rodriguez is the owner of Urban Art Jewelry. Here you’ll always find him encountering and welcoming his customers with a smile. Rodriguez’s displays handcrafted jewelry, stones of all kinds framed in various metals such as brass and copper. M
any, if not all, of his pieces can be adjusted to size, and if you like something but wish it to be in one of his other metals he can recreate it for you and switch the stone out into that piece.
He aims to make original pieces that are custom to you, he even allows you to bring in your own stones in order to customize a more personal product for you.
‘Keepin it Paisa’
In Room 8 visitors find, “‘Keepin it Paisa”’ ran by Cuahutemoc Vargas.
His apparel displays many original quotes and word play that is significant and insightful to the playfulness as well as strength that the Mexican community passes to one another. You can find quotes such as “Sangre Dorada,” “Powered by Nopal” or one of Vargas’s favorites “San Pancho” which pokes a joke at San Francisco since a common nickname for Mexicans named Francisco happens to be Pancho. Vargas’ work allows moments and sayings of his culture and upbring to be captured and commemorated. Many Mexicans can relate to this content and share these experiences.
“I wanted to express my life experiences from being a son of migrant parents,” Vargas said of his inspiration.
Birthing Culture
Next to “Keepin it Paisa” is “ Chulo Baby” run by Rebecca Garcia. It was created in 2007 with the purpose of fixing the lack of Latino representation in children’s clothing.
“When we created Chulo Baby we knew this would be a perfect way to not only represent our culture, but to keep it alive through the children who wear our clothing,.” Garcia said.
Garcia exemplifies how and why representation of culture is important, not only does it allow others experience but it keeps it alive.
The vendors of Placita MX create and uphold what Mexican culture has to bring to the world. Their work highlights the color, playful nature, love, warmth and life of Hispanic culture to our community. T
hey keep culture alive with their arts. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, or want to experience something bursting with this much life and culture visit Placita Mx in midtown Sacramento and say “hi” to these incredible vendors and discover all they have to offer.
